Betrayal
by Daine
Summary: Kurt's hologram goes on the fritz at a most inoppurtune time. Kitty's the only one there who might save the situation, but she has other things in mind...namely her reputation. Chapter Three: Return up and this story is complete.
1. The Dance

A/N: This is the first X-Men: Evolution fic I have ever written. In truth I've only seen the show twice. But this story popped into my head one day and it wouldn't leave me alone until I had written it, so here it is. How can I categorize this? It's not really romance…or action…I guess you could call it drama. Kurt's transmitter goes on the fritz at a most inopportune time. Kitty's the only one there who can save the situation, but she has other things in mind…namely her reputation. Not truly Kurtty, but fans can read anything they want into it.

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. Darn…

Betrayal

"Ooooh, look, here he comes!"

Kitty squealed. "Where? Where?"

"Behind you! Shh! Act like you don't notice."

"Hey girls," said Liam, flashing Kitty and her group of friends a million-dollar smile. 

"Hi," they chorused back. The second he walked away, the girls erupted into fits of giggles. 

"I can't believe it! He talked to us!" shrieked Amanda.

"And he smiled at me!" gasped Kitty. Well, really he had smiled at all of them, but Kitty was sure he meant it just for her. Why, the other day he had stopped in the hallway and picked up a paper she had dropped to hand to her. She had just about melted. Liam Burke, quarterback of the JV football team, class president, and total hottie. Kitty sighed happily. Every girl dreamed of dating Liam Burke, and maybe she had a chance!

The girls were at the Valentine's Day dance at their local high school, and Kitty was determined to dance with Liam at least once before the night was over.The trick was getting him to agree. 

"Oooh, I love this song!" exclaimed Kitty. A fast dance beat pounded out of the speakers.

"Hey, look over there." All the girls turned to look. "What are we looking at?" questioned Kitty. "Him," giggled Amanda. Kitty stared in the direction her friend was pointing. No one of interest was over there, except for…"Do you mean Kurt?" she asked incredulously. 

"Isn't he dreamy?" sighed Amanda. "Just look at the way he dances." Kitty could not, would not believe what her friend was saying. True, Kurt _did _dance well…very well…but Kitty would never believe he was dreamy. As if summoned by her thoughts, Kurt looked over at her and grinned. She gave him an exasperated look in return. She had _told _him not to talk to her at school! 

Again he seemed to read her mind. _I'm not talking to you, _he mouthed. She glared and he laughed before dancing off. The writhing crowd actually parted to let the dance master through. 

"Did you see that? He smiled at us!" Kitty jumped slightly. She had forgotten that her friends were talking about Kurt. "He doesn't dance _with_ anybody though," continued Amanda, pouting slightly. "He never dances with anyone. Why do you think that is?"

Kitty stifled derisive laughter. She knew why Kurt never danced with anyone, but she certainly wasn't about to tell them that. They might wonder how she knew, and then figure out she _associated _with that blue-furred freak. They might realize she was a mutant too! And that would destroy her reputation, which would never do. 

"Oh my gosh," breathed Amanda. "Look over there. Claire's trying to get a dance with Kurt!" Everyone stared. Sure enough, the popular, gorgeous cheerleader was standing next to Kurt and apparently asking him to dance. "He won't refuse her. Darn it! I was hoping to dance with him first!"

Kitty watched the scene with trepidation. Kurt couldn't afford to dance with anyone, since his hologram didn't extend towards touch. The secret would be out for him and possibly the entire Institute if Claire found out her potential dance partner had only three fingers. Still, _no one _turned down Claire. Most guys would kill to have a dance with her. There was no telling what might happen when Kurt refused her.

She didn't need Amanda's barely contained scream to tell her what happened. "I don't believe it. He's refusing her!" She looked in spite of herself, and saw Kurt walking away from a very angry Claire. _The elf is in trouble now. _Kitty knew that look too well – the deadliest thing in the world was a cheerleader scorned.

Kitty sighed. Kurt had dug his own grave. She continued talking with her friends, purposely steering the conversation away from Kurt and Claire. It wasn't until two songs later that she noticed Kurt walking towards her. She glared a warning. He simply grinned back, giving her the look that she knew meant that there was no stopping him at this point. Kurt had decided to annoy her and that was all there was to it.

"Hello, Kitty," he said, grinning wickedly at her. She managed to smile back. Suddenly a sense of dread overcame her. _Oh no, he's going to_… "May I have zis dance?" 

She couldn't refuse him. Not with everyone watching her and Amanda's excited eyes glowing. _This could be a good thing, _she realized. _Kurt picked me out of everyone here, and everyone knows that he doesn't dance with anyone. Of course, he **can't** dance with anyone else, but no one needs to know that._

_ _

"Well," she said, considering, "I guess so. Sure, Kurt." She ignored the squeals coming from her group of friends, but it seemed Kurt didn't. If possible, his grin grew even wider. Kurt took her hand and led her out onto the middle of the dance floor. 

Once they were a safe distance away from the bevy of girls, Kitty glared at him. "Kurt!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice low. 

Kurt's face was the very picture of innocence. "Vhat?" he asked, opening his eyes wide. 

"You…you…oh, you're impossible!" she cried. "I _told _you…"

"I remember," interrupted Kurt. "And I don't have to say anozzer vord. Dance does not require talk." His eyes danced laughingly at her, challenging her to keep arguing. She opened her mouth furiously, then closed it and sighed. 

"I'll get you later," she whispered, and relaxed against him. She felt rather than heard the laugh travel through Kurt's body. He wrapped his arms around her as they slowly swayed to the music. _This isn't so bad, _Kitty realized. _Even if it is Kurt. Once you get past the way it feels to hold hands with a three-fingered mutant, that is. And I'll be the talk of the school for days! _Her forehead brushed against his cheek for a minute and she stiffened at the feel of his fur on her skin. Then she relaxed again. It was better than dancing with someone who hadn't shaved well. At least Kurt's facial hair was soft. 

To her surprise, the song ended. She hadn't realized that much time had passed. Kurt released her, smiling. "Not so bad, no?" he asked. 

"I guess not," she grudgingly admitted. "But don't try it again!" He laughed and opened his mouth, about to say something, when a large hand spun him around violently. Kitty stared in shock. Josh, the co-captain of the football team, glared at Kurt malevolently. Behind him stood Claire, a look of justified anger and satisfaction on her face. _Oh no…_

_ _

"Who do you think you are?" spat Josh. Kitty could tell Kurt was about to make a sarcastic comment, so she jabbed him with her elbow. Josh did not need to be any angrier than he was right now. Josh continued, "Turning down _Claire _to dance with _this? _It's time you learned that she has friends to protect her reputation!" He looked at Kitty like she was some kind of creature too disgusting to be in his presence. She automatically straightened and looked angrily at Josh. How dare he talk about her that way?

Kurt glanced down at Kitty and then glared furiously at Josh. "I fail to see vhy I should prefer to dance vith Claire." There was a collective gasp around them. Startled, Kitty looked behind her and realized that they had drawn a crowd. This was very bad. If they had been alone, Kurt might have been able to talk his way out of the situation. But since there was a crowd, both boys seemed to want to prove himself more macho than the other, which would explain Kurt's valiant but suicidal statement.

"You little…" Josh lunged for Kurt, drawing muffled screams from the ever-growing crowd. Kitty tried to make her escape but the people were pressed too closely together to allow her to do so. Kurt ducked Josh's wild punch and circled away. Kitty was sick with fear – for whom, she didn't know. Kurt? Josh? Or herself? She moved back as far as the crowd would let her and watched.

Kurt had avoided getting hit, but Josh wasn't giving up. He threw several more punches, all of which Kurt avoided easily. It seemed all the X-Men training had done some good – Josh was much bigger and heavier than Kurt, and he was holding his own. But Kurt did not throw any attacks back at Josh. Kitty wondered at that for a moment. _Oh. Kurt must know it will be all the worse for him if he shames Josh by hitting him. He has more sense than I thought. _

"Hey, look out!"

"Teachers are coming!"

The shouts distracted Kurt for one fatal moment. He turned to look for a split second, and in that second Josh yelled in triumph and grabbed Kurt's wrist with a crushing grip, intending to hold him still while he beat Kurt senseless. 

Kitty swore later that she heard the _crunch _of Kurt's watch as Josh smashed it with his mighty hands. At that moment, however, she felt like time had frozen. She saw the watch that was so much more than a watch shatter. She had only an instant for terror to come over her before Kurt's hologram completely disintegrated, and the mutant she had come to think of as the "fuzzy blue elf" stared at the crowd through horrified yellow eyes.

Josh stepped back, staring in utter disbelief. Screams echoed throughout the gym, growing louder as more and more people got a good look at Kurt's real form. Then he turned to look at her, and Kitty realized her mistake. She was the only one who didn't seem surprised, so naturally Josh assumed (correctly) that she already knew about Kurt. And who else would know about a mutant than a fellow mutant?

She saw Josh's eyes narrow in suspicion – and, in the crowd, Liam watching her intently. Panic swept over her. What was she going to do? She stared at Kurt and let horror creep into her face. That she didn't have to fake, she _was _horrified that he had been discovered and she was at risk. Not to mention the Institute! If anyone realized that both she and Kurt were mutants, they might put two and two together and discover everyone else at the Institute. Then where would the X-Men go? Kitty then made a show of finding her voice, like she had been too shocked to speak before. "You…you…" she stammered, letting a note of panic come into her voice. Her voice trembled agreeably. She ignored Kurt's surprised and hurt look as he reached towards her. She jumped back. "Don't touch me!" she screamed, sounding completely panicked. Kurt stood, looking at her in disbelief. "Kitty?" he asked.

_ _

Kitty ducked behind the nearest person. To her surprise, it was Liam. Even more surprising was when he spoke. "You heard her, freak," Liam growled. "Stay away from her."

Kurt stared at Kitty, who was hiding behind Liam and looking at him with terror in her eyes. Realization dawned on him then, and his eyes filled with the pain and anger of betrayal. Kitty's eyes widened as his eyes glittered. Kurt wasn't…he wasn't _crying, _was he?

She had no time to ponder it. With a strangled cry, Kurt disappeared into thin air. She ignored the shocked gibbering of her classmates and sank to her knees. She had done the right thing, she was sure of it. Her reputation – no, the _Institute_ – was safe. Kitty had done her part to keep the identity of the mutant school a secret. 

"Kitty! KITTY!" She glanced up, startled. Liam was staring worriedly at her. It appeared he was asking her if she was all right, and had been doing so for quite some time. "I'm fine," she assured him, smiling weakly like a brave heroine. "I'm just a little shocked."

"I don't blame you," Liam said. "To find out that Kurt, the so-called dance master, is a mutant – and you having just danced with him!" Kitty tried to be thrilled at the fact that Liam was paying so much attention to her, but she found herself tuning him out. Kurt's anguished face kept popping up in her memory, every feature etched with pain and disbelief. His eyes burned into hers, pleading with her for the answer to one question: _Why?_

_ _

Kitty stood and desperately tried to shake the image from her mind. What she had done she did out of concern for the safety of the Institute. Kurt would understand that, he was just a little surprised right now. Surely he'd realize that she had done the right thing when he was thinking clearly again. 

But if what she had done was so right, then why did she feel so awful?

Should I continue or not? Please review!


	2. Homecoming

A/N: Wow. I am completely overwhelmed by the number of responses I received. They really inspired me to keep writing, because before that I wasn't sure whether I would write a sequel. Here is the next part of **Betrayal: **What happens when Kitty comes home? No one really likes what she has done to our poor Kurt…please read and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. I merely borrow the characters to torture them for a while, and they will return relatively unharmed.

# Betrayal Part Two: Homecoming

"Jean, pass the potatoes."

"Coming right up," replied Jean Gray, and concentrated momentarily. The bowl of mashed potatoes floated through the air towards Logan, who had asked for them. He caught them easily. 

"I still don't understand why you two didn't go to the dance with the others," Professor Xavier commented, referring to Jean and Scott. Scott sat up straight and hurriedly motioned for the professor to be quiet, but it was too late.

"We _would_ have gone," Jean announced. "That is, if _someone _hadn't promised that he would pick up tickets for me because I was running late for class and then forgot. And if that _someone _had remembered that they don't sell tickets at the door anymore." She glared pointedly at Scott, who looked sheepish.

"I am sure that Kurt and Kitty are having a good time anyway," commented Ororo. "I've never known either of them to complain about a dance."

Logan looked up. "Jean, pass the gravy." She sighed.

"Can't you think of anything else to say?" she asked. But it was a token protest, because a second later the gravy floated across the table following the potatoes. 

There was no warning. One moment Jean was passing the gravy to Logan, and the next she went completely rigid. The gravy fell to the table and splashed all over Scott, who yelled as the scalding liquid ran down his legs. But all eyes were on Jean. She stared at them all without seeing, and then clutched at her head and screamed.

"Jean!" Scott yelled, gravy forgotten. He started towards her. "Professor! What's…" He stopped abruptly, because now he saw that the Professor was gripping his head in pain, similar to the way Jean was. He turned back to Jean. "Jean! Snap out of it!"

Just as abruptly as it had started it stopped. Jean's hands fell to her sides and she slumped down into her chair. She stared up at them with pain evident in her eyes. "Kurt…" she gasped, gripping Scott's arm tightly. "Kurt…he's…" The effort of speech was evidently too much for her and she stopped, breathing hard.

"Don't talk," Ororo ordered. "Professor? What happened?" 

Xavier was just recovering. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "It was an extreme wave of emotion, and neither of us were prepared for it. It was careless to let our shields drop that far."

"Yeah, but what was the emotion?" Logan demanded. "Jean mentioned the elf. What's wrong with him?"

"It was…" the Professor hesitated. "At first it was shock, then fear, which is why we were momentarily paralyzed. After that it was pain, anger, sorrow…and the sense of betrayal. Very potent, and very sudden."

There was a silence as the group processed that piece of information. "Well, is he okay?" demanded Logan. "What is it that you're not telling us?"

The Professor sighed heavily. "I would rather wait until Kurt and Kitty get home before divulging any more information."

Logan stared at him, then drew in a sharp breath. "Kitty!" he exclaimed. "Did she…"

"Scott, please help Jean to her room. She needs to sleep," Xavier interrupted loudly. He gave Logan a pointed look. He growled under his breath but stayed silent. Jean leaned on Scott as they walked out of the room. "Logan," the Professor began, but the man glared and turned to leave the room. He paused just before walking out of the door.

"I'm right, aren't I?" he asked without turning. Xavier remained silent, but evidently there had been some answer. Logan growled angrily and hurled himself out the door. The Professor folded his hands to wait for his two youngest X-Men to come home – and prayed silently that one of them would come back at all. 

***

Kitty rubbed her eyes tiredly. Ever since Kurt had disappeared she had been bombarded by questions about him, coupled with students asking if she was all right. _As if touching Kurt had given me a disease or something, _she reflected disgustedly, watching a few kids draw away from her with odd looks on their faces. She just wanted to go home and sleep. 

"Are you sure you're okay? He didn't hurt you or anything?" Kitty stifled her exasperation. This was the third time Liam had asked her the same question in the last half-hour. Still, she should be flattered that _Liam Burke _was paying so much attention to her.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said, mustering up a smile. "I was just a little shocked. Kurt didn't do anything to me."

"I still can't believe it!" squealed Amanda for the millionth time. "You danced with him – the first time he _ever _danced – and then it turns out he's a…a…some kind of _demon!_"

She looked delightedly scandalized, now that the initial shock and fear had worn off. "And you're being so _brave _about it! You must have been scared out of your mind."

_He's a mutant, not a demon. **Mutant. **Get it right! _Kitty was so frustrated she was ready to scream. All the talk of demons was not helping the awful feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. She reminded herself yet again that she had done the right thing. When she got home she would talk to Kurt and he would forgive her. In fact, maybe he had already realized it himself; he was reasonably intelligent. That would be even better because she wouldn't have to do any explaining.

She faked a yawn. "I better be going home," she said. "I'm awfully tired." Immediately Liam stood up.

"Of course. You should get some rest. Can I drive you home?" 

Kitty produced a real smile for that offer. She couldn't believe her luck. Liam wanted to drive her home! "Sure, Liam. Thanks so much."

They drove to the Institute in silence. Kitty was grateful for that. It was enough just to be seen getting into Liam's car, and anyway she didn't think she was up to conversation. She was concentrating fully on what to tell Kurt. She got out of the car and thanked Liam again, then headed to the front door and bed.

She was completely unprepared for Logan springing out of nowhere to intercept her. She screamed as he grabbed her arm. "What did you do to him?" he growled into her face. "Where's Kurt?"

Kitty's mind whirled. Logan wasn't making any sense. "Wh-what?" she stammered. "Kurt? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent with me, little girl," Logan snarled. "I know you hurt him, and I want to know how and why. Now!" Kitty stared fearfully into Logan's rage-filled eyes. How could he possibly know what had happened at the dance? She had been hoping to settle things with Kurt before anyone even found out about his hologram.

The Professor's voice was her savior as it echoed through the open door. "Logan. That's enough. Put her down." He did so, albeit reluctantly. Xavier gave Logan a severe look. "I told you to do nothing until I talked to her."

"But…" The Professor held up a warning finger, and Logan fell silent. "Kitty, come with me," the Professor ordered. He wheeled into the house. Kitty gulped as she followed, noting that the Hall had never seemed quite so large before.

Charles Xavier wheeled into his office and motioned for Kitty to take a seat next to him. She did so, asking questions as she sat. "Professor, I don't understand. What did Logan mean? Isn't Kurt back?"

Xavier regarded her gravely. "No, Kitty, he is not back. We haven't seen him all evening. I need to know exactly what happened at the dance."

"But…how did you…"

"How did I know?As you know, Jean and I have telepathic powers. We can also enter the minds of others. That naturally makes us more attuned to other people's emotions. The closer we are to a person, the more sensitive we are to what they are feeling." He watched her closely. "Surely you understand what I am getting at."

Kitty nodded and swallowed hard. "You're saying that since you're close to Kurt after living with him all this time, you felt what he felt at the dance."

"Correct. Jean felt it also, and she is not as strong as I am. The emotion overwhelmed her. It was _very _strong emotion, I might add. Jean collapsed and is currently in bed. We will have to work on keeping stronger shields in place at all times. Being caught off guard like that could be deadly." He stared at Kitty and she squirmed inwardly. She hated that look; it made her feel like he could see straight to her soul. "I need you to tell me what happened."

Kitty felt like a trapped animal. What was she going to say? She looked directly into the Professor's piercing eyes and felt the tale pour out of her. She couldn't even think of lying with the Professor looking at her like that, and she figured that he would be able to tell if she lied anyway.

"…and that's what happened, Professor," she finished. "I don't know what happened to Kurt after he teleported. I thought he came home." Kitty glanced at him and immediately felt a thousand times worse. The disappointed, disapproving look in the Professor's eyes was worse than if he had yelled at her. "Professor, I had to! If anyone realized I already knew about Kurt being a mutant, they might discover the Institute! I had to protect our identity!"

Xavier nodded, but the look didn't leave his face. "Yes, Kitty." The tone in his voice made her cringe. "We'll discuss this further in the morning. Go to bed. Tomorrow we will look for Kurt if he has not returned." 

Kitty nodded and stood up. She was halfway to the door when she paused. "Professor, are you mad at me? Because I didn't mean…I'm sure Kurt will understand…" her voice trailed off at the look on his face.

"Go to bed, Kitty." She left, feeling much worse than she had upon entry. _It's not right. He shouldn't be angry with me. What else could I have done? Nothing! _Still trying to justify her actions to herself, she didn't see Scott and nearly ran into him.

"Scott! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!" She felt a sense of relief as she looked at him. Scott wouldn't have heard what happened yet, and he wouldn't condemn her, especially if her heard her reasoning. Surely he would understand.

Kitty's heart sank as she saw the serious look in Scott's face. _Oh, please no…_"I heard what you told the Professor, Kitty."

"Scott, I…" He stopped her.

"Listen to what I have to say first." He stared at her until she nodded agreement. "I want you to realize something. I thought you knew this already, but apparently I was wrong. _The X-Men are your family._ We have to be able to count on each other, because we can't trust anyone else. You're lucky – you actually have parents that cared for you. In Kurt's case, the X-Men are his _only_ family. He has no one else but us. Imagine what is must feel like, to be betrayed by one of the only people you thought you could trust. By your own _family_." 

"Scott, listen to me! I didn't have a choice!"  
  


He looked down at her, and she was struck by how much taller he was than her. "You always have a choice." He cut off her protests. "You could have pretended it was a joke. You could have laughed it up that Kurt had been able to fool everyone so effectively with a hologram making him look like a mutant, then hustled him out of there as fast as you could. But instead you deserted him so that _you _could look good. Tell me honestly, what did you worry about first, the Institute or your reputation?"

She stared at him, shocked and angry. How dare he talk to her like that? He wasn't there; he had no right to tell her what she should have done. The accusation was so unfair she couldn't even speak. "Think about it," Scott advised as he walked away. 

Kitty watched him go, fear and fury running rampant inside of her. Fear that Scott was right, followed by rage that he would talk to her so cruelly. The fury quickly overtook the fear and she stalked to her room, filled with righteous anger. High and mighty Scott, so sure that whatever he did was right. He hadn't been at the dance; he didn't know the fear she felt at the possibility of being discovered. Angry and defiant tears rolled down her cheeks as she flung herself down onto her bed and tried to get some sleep.

***

Kurt teleported mindlessly, having no thought but to get as far away from the dance as humanly -_Wait. He wasn't human. Hadn't Kitty proved that? Didn't that make the expression useless?- _possible. He hit the ground hard, not having the will to 'port any longer, then rose and ran blindly on, eyes still streaming with tears that stemmed as much from anger as from sorrow. He couldn't go home now; not when everyone knew he was a mutant. He would never be accepted, and the Institute might be discovered. Kurt was running again, and this time there was no Institute to take him in. He had no idea where he was going, but he ran in a desperate attempt to leave his emotions far behind. But, unfortunately for Kurt Wagner, no one can run that fast. 

***

One more part, if you guys want it. Please review! 


	3. 

Betrayal Part Three: Return

A/N: Argh! I am so sorry this took so long! I had tons of homework, not to mention the state Mu Alpha Theta competition. I worked really hard on this though, and I actually am satisfied by the way it turned out. I hope it makes up for the wait.

Disclaimer: I didn't own X-Men: Evolution the first time. I didn't own it the second time. Unfortunately, nothing has changed.

Betrayal Part Three: Return__

_ _

The alarm went off far too early for a girl who had tossed and turned all night long. Kitty moaned as she opened her eyes, and no sooner had she done so than an overwhelming sense of dread and worry came over her. It took a moment for her to recall why, and then she sat up in bed so abruptly that her vision went blurry. As she waited for her eyes to clear, she tried to calm her whirling thoughts. _Stop it. Stop worrying. Kurt's back; he **must** be back. He wouldn't stay out all night. _

_ _

Still, no matter how hard she tried to talk herself into it, she was so distracted while getting dressed that she ended up trying to put her shirt on as pants and her shoes on the wrong feet. By the time she managed to get all her clothing on the right appendages, she remembered that it was a Sunday. Exasperation flooded her system and she flopped back onto the bed. There was no point in going downstairs; no one would be up at this hour on a weekend: she had set her alarm for six thirty.

_Actually, that might be exactly what I want, _she mused. If anyone else had heard about the dance from Scott, Logan, or the Professor without hearing her version, they would likely not be too happy to see her. Kitty decided to have breakfast early and then retire to her room. 

After eating her cereal and fruit, Kitty walked out of the dining hall and ran straight into Ororo. She gasped and stammered an apology.Before she could duck past Ororo to head for her room, the African said, "A moment, if you please, Kitty." 

Kitty didn't "please", but Ororo's tone told her she had no choice. She turned to face her with reluctance. The look on Ororo's face made her cringe. "I have heard what happened last night, Kitty." She held up her hand as Kitty started to protest. "I have also heard from Scott what your reasons were. While I was not there to observe the situation, I highly doubt that you had no other course of action." She looked at Kitty sternly. "I had hoped that we had taught you better than that, Kitty." Ororo swept past Kitty into the dining hall without a backward glance. 

"Wait!" Kitty called desperately. When Ororo turned, Kitty realized that what she wanted to say was useless. Instead she asked, "Is Kurt back?"

Apprehension built up in the young girl as Ororo's stern expression did not change. "No, Kitty," she said simply.

Kitty let Ororo go this time. She was stunned. Never had she imagined that Kurt would stay out all night! Nigglings of doubt tugged at her then, but she pushed them harshly away. These were harder to get rid of than her doubts last night.__

Kitty ran into Jean next. When she saw the redhead coming she tried to duck into a side passageway, but it was no use. _Don't try to avoid me, Kitty, _came Jean's voice in her head. She moaned inwardly and turned to face Jean, trying to ignore the increasing tension she felt.

However, Jean didn't say anything to her. Somehow that made it much worse. The disappointed look on her face was more than Kitty could stand. "Say something," she begged. "You know you want to, so just say it!"

Jean continued to look at her. "I think you've already heard everything I wanted to say."

Kitty stared at Jean, then turned and ran towards her room. She passed Evan, who glared at her as she barreled past him. She didn't stop; she had to get away from the horrible accusing looks the others gave her. Kitty blinked away tears as she ran. _It's not fair! None of them understand! _The other voice inside of her was speaking up now, with growing insistency. _What if they're right? What if – _

In her mad flight she didn't see Logan in front of her, and ended up phasing straight through him. He called to her to stop, and she turned angrily. "What?" she yelled, losing her patience at last. "Are you going to scream at me too? I had to do it!"

Logan curled his lip. "You disgust me," he said. "Deserting your own teammate under fire. I can't believe you showed your face around here." Kitty felt like she had been slapped. Tears rolled down her cheeks. But Logan wasn't finished. "Elf-boy cares about you, you know," he said. "Though for the life of me I don't know why. His looks have made him more sensitive than most people, and you crushed him. More than that, you destroyed him. I'm not surprised he didn't come home. I _will _be surprised if he comes home without one of us dragging him back." He glared at Kitty and stalked down the hall, his last words like daggers in her heart. "You better hope Kurt comes back alive."

Bitter tears welled up in Kitty's eyes. Logan's words had been all too clear. _He's right. He's right, and Scott's right, and the Professor…_She sank to her knees in the hall and wept for her friends, and the Institute, and a poor boy named Kurt to whom she had done the unforgivable.

* * *

Kitty honestly had no idea how she had gotten to her room after her collapse in the hallway. She only recalled lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling without seeing it as her thoughts whirled. _How could you? How **could **you? _her mind screamed. She didn't even try to silence it as she wept, wracked with guilt and grief. 

It took the better part of two hours for Kitty to calm down enough to think. She stared blankly into space and desperately tried to think of some way to redeem herself. Her thought process was interrupted several times by more bouts of tears as she thought of things she could have done the previous night but were impossible now. 

The word came around lunchtime that Kurt had been found, in the form of the Professor sending out a mental message to the entire Institute. Logan had gone out searching for him, aided by Jean's mental directions and his own amazing sense of smell. He found Kurt about five miles out of Bayville behind a lonely gas station. Kurt had apparently crashed there after exhausting both his mutant powers and his own physical strength. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had not been discovered, but the station was far enough out of the way that it received few visitors.

When Kurt arrived back at the mansion, Kitty stayed in her room. She heard Jean leave her room to go down and see Kurt. Kitty knew she should go down also, but she didn't think she could face him without crying.

_Kitty? _The mental call came from Professor Xavier. She ignored it and continued to sit on her bed. _Kitty, come down here. _

_ _

Could she ignore a direct order from the Professor? Kitty didn't think so. Very reluctantly, she got off her bed and slowly began walking downstairs. She didn't bother to use her powers to get her there quickly. Anytime she saw him would be too soon.

When Kitty arrived in the main living room, she immediately saw Kurt. The other mutants surrounding him looked up when she arrived. She didn't even notice as they drew back slightly. All she saw was Kurt.

Kitty held back a gasp. The blue mutant looked awful. Dark circles lined his eyes, and scratches marred his matted blue fur. He looked like he had been running all night. _He has run all night, _said the Professor in her mind. _I'm just grateful Logan found him when he did._

_ _

Unbeknownst to Kitty, the other students had quietly left the room, probably at a request from Professor Xavier. She was only aware that Kurt had finally looked up at her, and the sad, pained look on his face almost started her crying again. 

The silence dragged on. _I have to say something! _"Um…hi, Kurt," she stammered. Mentally she kicked herself. That was _not _what she had wanted to say. She tried again. "I'm…I'm glad you're back." 

Kurt looked down at the floor. "_Ja_," he said quietly. Kitty could not believe what she had just said. _If there were an award for saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time, I'd get it._

"Kurt," she began again, and her voice faltered. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry." Tears filled her eyes again. "I never meant to…I didn't mean to hurt you!" The words sounded pathetic even to her. 

"_Ja_, Kitty," Kurt said again. "It's okay." He looked up at Xavier. "Professor, I am going up to my room."

"Of course, Kurt," the Professor answered. "I'll have your watch fixed in time for you to go to school on Tuesday." Kurt teleported out, leaving the Professor and Kitty alone.

"But…" Kitty protested, too late. She stared at the place where Kurt had just been. _It's not okay. Not at all._

_ _

Professor Xavier wheeled himself out the door past Kitty. "I'll see you at dinner," he said. Disappointment filled his voice. Kitty bit her lip as the nebulous plan she had thought of before leaving her room came back to the surface of her mind. 

"Professor, wait!" She ran out the door and stopped by his wheelchair. He looked up at her, his face unreadable. She took a deep breath. "When you get Kurt's watch fixed, would it be possible to add a feature to it?"

"Depends on what it is," he answered.

"What if it was…"

* * *

The next day at school was living Hell for Kitty. Everywhere she went crowds surrounded her. Normally she would have enjoyed this, but these crowds all wanted to know about Kurt. Comments such as, "I'll bet he doesn't dare show his face around here!" and "The demon must be scared to show up for school now that we know about him," filled the hallways. When asked a direct question about Kurt, Kitty always answered enigmatically.

"Kurt is sick today. But he'll have a big surprise for you when he gets back!" No matter how hard anyone pressed, she didn't say another word. Not even when Liam came around to ask her about Kurt did she tell him anything.

Somehow she made it through the day without losing her cool. She was already tense about what she planned to do tomorrow. Kitty intended to tell Kurt about her idea tonight and see if he thought it would work. And if it did, then maybe he actually would forgive her.

The final bell rang and Kitty rushed out of her class as fast as she could. She wasn't in a particular hurry to get back in Scott's car, since she had been slowly tortured by the silent treatment during the morning ride, but she wanted to get away from the incessant talking and speculations about "the demon", as they were now calling Kurt.

Kitty was heading for her locker when the hallways fell silent. She could think of only one thing that might cause all those students to stop their conversations. _The Professor must have had Logan drop him off to get his make-up work. But…but he isn't supposed to be here until tomorrow! _she thought wildly. _I haven't told him my plan yet! How can this possibly work if he doesn't know his cues? _Her heart stopped for a split second, then restarted at triple speed. She knew what she had to do. If she could calm herself long enough to speak…Kitty turned around – and found herself looking directly into Kurt's holograph-induced eyes. 

She froze. Paralysis took hold and she would not, _could _not will her body to move. Her carefully rehearsed lines flew out of her head completely. All she saw was Kurt's eyes, pain and a hint of betrayal in them even now. And beyond them, the hallway of students murmured and gaped as they witnessed the confrontation. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Kitty saw Josh and some of his football buddies moving towards Kurt, anger on their faces. This would be a horrible risk – if no one believed her act – she was out of time. She had to act _now_.

Kitty took a deep breath – and beamed at Kurt like she hadn't seen him in years. "Hey, Kurt!" she chirped, forcing cheer into her voice. "I'm glad you're feeling better! Have you, like, shown them yet?" Josh and the others stopped their advance and stared. Kurt stared at her too, uncomprehending.

Kitty looked around the hall at all the faces – some angry, some fearful, and some curious. She let her eyes widen, and her voice took on a note of surprise. "You haven't?" she asked incredulously. Her eyes sparkled, and she grinned infectiously. "Show them now, Kurt!" Without waiting for an answer she turned to the crowd. "Wait until you see this," she said. "It is sooo cool! He can turn into anybody!"

She saw Kurt's eyes widen and prayed that he understood what she meant. She took hold of his arm and dramatically gestured to his new holo-watch. "Watch this," she instructed, and pressed the little button on the side that she had asked to be installed. Immediately Kurt's image blurred, shifted – and became a 50-year-old man. 

The gasps of shock from the crowd were just what Kitty was hoping for. She pressed the button again and again, and Kurt's image went from a middle-aged man to a beach bum, a grandmother, George Washington, and even a voluptuous teenage girl. Kitty stopped at that last one, and said to the excitedly chattering crowd, "Remember the mutant from the dance?" This time she pressed a different button, but luckily no one was close enough to tell the difference. The holograph-inducer turned off, and Kurt stood staring at them in his true form.

Before anyone could say anything, Kitty laughed and grinned up at Kurt with admiration. _This is going better than I had hoped, _she thought._ Maybe I should become an actress! _"He sure had me fooled then!" she said, bubbly laughter accompanying her statement. She winked at the crowd as if sharing some great secret. "Believe me, when we got home and he told me it was all a joke, and then showed me the watch – ooh, I was so mad at him! But I have my ways of revenge for scaring me like that," she added, grinning evilly. "You've only seen the beginning of them, Kurt."

Kurt had the sense to react to that appropriately. "Oh, no," he lamented. "I am doomed! You shall never see Kurt Vagner again!" The gathered students laughed, and Kitty relaxed slightly. It was working – now if only no one thought to ask how Kurt had disappeared, they would be in the clear.

"Turn off the holograph now, Kurt," she instructed. Kurt looked surprised for a minute, and Kitty nodded at the watch meaningfully. _Come on, figure it out…_

She didn't need to worry. Kurt grinned at her and said, "Sure, Kitty." He pressed a button and his "normal" hologram popped up again. The ever-growing crowd of students gasped. Some even applauded. Kurt took a few bows, and Kitty allowed herself a sigh of relief. It was the perfect thing to do to cement their act. 

Her relief was short-lived, however. Josh pushed his way up to the front of the crowd and looked suspiciously at Kurt. Then he asked the one question Kitty had been praying not to hear. "Well, then how did you disappear like that at the dance?" 

Fear shot through Kitty's chest; fear that she was careful not to let show. Contrary to her outside appearance, her mind was in turmoil. _Kurt figured out what I was doing before, but this! How can I ever pull this off? _

Kitty beamed at Josh to hide the horrible feeling building up in the pit of her stomach. She had no choice. She had created this mess, now she had to finish it. The only thing to do was to hope Kurt caught on. "That was the most amazing thing of all!" she said, stalling for time. "He really thought of everything! He can actually project an image that mirrors what's around him." Seeing the confused look on Kurt's face and on several other people, she added, "That means that the hologram makes him blend in perfectly with the crowd around him. He didn't disappear, the holograph just made him look invisible!" Silently she hoped that no one knew too much about holographic projectors, because what she'd just claimed Kurt had done was currently impossible. From the impressed looks on the surrounding people's faces, no one knew that.

Josh still looked unconvinced. "Show us," he ordered. Kitty swallowed. She had really hoped that no one would call her bluff. Now it was all up to Kurt. _Who has no idea what I'm doing. Face it, Kitty; you're in for it this time!_

"Of course," she said, ignoring the slightly panicked look on Kurt's face. _He _knew that his holo-watch couldn't do that. "Now, when Kurt presses this button, he will to all our views disappear. He will have blended in perfectly with his surroundings - like a chameleon. Then he'll press it again and the hologram will disappear, and then _pop! _Back comes Kurt!" She stared at Kurt the entire time she was speaking, and at the end mouthed a single word to him. _Teleport! _

_ _

Understanding dawned in his Kurt's eyes. He gestured towards his watch, pretended to press a button – and vanished. A few seconds later, he reappeared in the exact same spot and bowed. As the gathered students chattered excitedly, Kitty's knees went weak with relief. _It worked…it actually worked! _

_ _

Several students came up to Kurt exclaiming over his watch, but Kitty was too drained to listen. She had been so full of tension over the past two days that now it was all she could do to stand up. The students, ready to go home after a long day, finally streamed away. From what Kitty heard, the gossips had already picked up a new topic. It was over.

Kitty looked up. The only people left in the hallway were Jean, Scott, and Kurt, Evan having had to leave earlier for basketball practice. She stared at them mutely, not having the energy to even beg forgiveness anymore. Kurt walked towards her hesitantly. "Kitty," he started. He seemed to lose what he was about to say. Then he shrugged. "Thanks." Kitty looked up at him, startled.

"Thanks?" she whispered, trying and failing to keep her voice from wavering. "After all that – you're thanking me?" Tears rushed to her eyes and spilled over. "Oh, Kurt – I'm so sorry – so sorry-" Kurt caught her up in his arms and hugged her briefly. Then he released her, offered a quick smile, and walked down the hall towards the parking lot. Jean followed him, after a glance at Kitty that somehow made her feel a little bit better. The only person left now was Scott.

Scott stared at her for a time that seemed endless. She resisted the urge to squirm under his gaze, and gave him look for look until he finally spoke. "You did a good job back there." He did not smile, but there was acceptance in his voice. "That took a lot of thinking. I'm impressed." He clapped her on the shoulder and turned away, following the others. When he was about halfway down the hall he looked back. "You coming? It's a long way to walk."

Kitty smiled shakily. Unexplainably, she felt like bursting into tears. It would be a long time before the team fully trusted her again, but at least now they were speaking to her. At least now, she had a chance.

Kitty wiped her eyes on her sleeve and managed a real smile. "I'm coming. Wait up!"

I beg you to review.


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